Biden fundraises for old Senate seat

Vice President Joe Biden did a second fundraiser Monday, this time in his home state of Delaware for Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons.

"It's good to be home, and it's good to be campaigning for a guy who I would be proud to call senator,” he said after being greeted by a standing ovation, “I tell my colleagues in Washington that you're going to be amazed when you find out the quality of the man we're about to elect to the United States Senate."

Coons, a New Castle County executive, is challenging Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) for Biden’s old seat. In the past, Biden has called Castle a friend.

About 150 people attended the event, paying $1,000 a plate for an elaborate dinner at the Chase Center in Wilmington. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, union representatives, Sen. Tom Carper’s (D) wife, Martha, and state lawmakers were in attendance, according to a White House pool report.

Biden said they need someone like Coons to work through the "dark days” of the economy, a trait Coon showed by cutting spending, implementing a Safe Streets program, and achieving a triple-A bond rating as a county executive.

"We can't afford the same old, same old in Washington,” he said, “We need what Chris Coons stands for, what Chris Coons has demonstrated. Chris is a truly independent guy. He's a Democrat. He shares the same values we all share.”

He did not mention Castle. Castle is a popular figure in the state and polls have shown him in a double-digit lead in the Senate race. Coons decided to run after Biden's son, Beau Biden, declined to run for his father's seat.